references/figures/al-ries.md

# Al Ries

## Contribution

A decision card for the Positioning & Category Strategy school. Use the principles, not the personality.

## Principles

- position relative to alternatives in the buyer mind.
- focus improves memorability.
- category framing changes comparison.

## Apply when

- The current decision matches this figure's documented area of contribution.
- The principle can be tied to evidence, a mechanism, or a testable assumption.

## Do not infer

- The figure's name does not settle a disagreement.
- Historical work is not evidence that a current market fact is true.
- Do not mimic personal voice, mannerisms, or biography.

## Connected theories

- `positioning`

## Counterweights

- Compare with `byron-sharp` when the principle would otherwise become a universal rule.

## Sources

- `source:ries-trout-positioning`